Rail-joint.



M.- NOBLE.

I RAIL JOINT.

\ APPLICATION FILED JUNE-I8, I915. 1,173,848. Patented Feb. 29,1916.

' 2 SHIIETS-SHEET I. i 5;]? .l. v l

T c 3. I SWWGMO'L llczfiiflbuee RAI'LJOI'NT;

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, I915. 1,113.848.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' Patented- Feb. 29, 1916.

{UNITEDSTATESJPATENT m 1' IVLQRK NOBLE, 0F LANSING, WEST VIRGINIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

T0 all whom it may concern Beit known that I, MARK NOBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lansing, in the county of Fayette and State of WVest Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in means for connecting the meeting ends of railway rails, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a rail joint wherein the friction elements will so contact with the'opposite faces of the rails as to retain the same in proper alinement and to insure the rails against creeping, vertical or lateral movement. A further objectof the invention isto provide a chair upon which .the meeting with a bond so that an electric: connection -ing friction members, said pockets being ends of two rails rest and to construct the 1 said chair so that the pressure or stress delivered from the rolling stock in passing the joint will cause thechair to more tightly ,contact with the rails andhold the same in perfect alinement and in a rigid condition.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a rail joint which includes a chair upon which the rails rest a-nd to pro- 'vide the chair with pockets within which are arranged friction members which are forced into engagement witlrthe opposite sides of the rail to hold the rails upon the chair, to obviate the necessity of providing the webs of the rails with the ordinary bolt openings which tend to weaken the same, and further associate the friction members will be maintained between the rails.

A still further object of theinvention is to provide a novel construction of rail chairs having pockets receiving rail engagfurther provided with slidable members contacting with frictionmembers to retain the last mentioned members in engaging position ,with the rail and to further provide adjusting elements for theslidable members which are'so associated therewith as to effectively maintain the said sliding members. within the pockets, and also to protect the" heads of the adjustingimembers by arrang ing: in a, uponfthe outer-faces of' the chain? V I With the above a'lidl'gpther obj ects initiew, the impr ovemen resides in theconstru'ction,

" rrangenientflof' same between'suitable ribs formed Specification a: Letters Patent. a Application filed June 18, 1915; Serial 1%. 34,900.

Paten te d Fen-29,

forth in the following specification andfa'lh P1 mgwithin the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 isa side elevation of tworails connected. in' accordance with the present invention, Fig; 2 is a'top plan view of the same, 3 is atransverse section approximately on the line 33 of Flg. 1, Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view approximately on the line 4-4 of Figwl, Fig. 5 is a. perspective view of the chair, and Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the riul engaging members. associated with the .o lair.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

1 1 designatetwo rails of theordinary construction which have their ends abutting. In the present instance the rail ends do not haveth'eir webs provided with the usual bolt openings which, as is well known, have a tendency to weaken the same at the points thereof requiring the greatest strength; that is, adjacent their ends.

The chair 2 includes a base 4 which is preferably centrally formed with a longitudinal groove 5 which extends the entire length of the chair. ,I g By reference to the drawings and especially to Fig. 3 thereof it will be noted that the base 4 is concaved longitudinally upon its undersurface, and thus it will be noted "thatthe' base, while not weakened. to any dangerous degree is of a less thickness at the central portion thereof than at any other point, throughout its cross sectional diameter. This arrangement permits of a certain and desired amount of resiliency of the-cen tral portion of the base, so'that when" .a rail isreceivedthereon and pressure, incident to the weight' oftlie-rolling stockpassing thereover, is delivered centrally of'the said base,

the'same will be subject to a 'limited-jcens.

tral, downward pressure which will cause the .side members to' be forced more fcompactlyagainst'th'e sidesof the rails as vm' it is thought, be readily understood v The base 4 is channeled horizontally in i opposite directions from :the longitudinal are' indicatedfby thdnumerals'l, while the. upper-or inclinedwalls which overlie thebase flanges of the'wsaid railslare indicated arts set by the numeral??? the inc-linediwallsilfl.1119? having terminal and vertical walls 8 which are received in the fishing spaces of the said rails. I. H i y The nuter faces, or the faces opposite thoseengaging the webs of the rails are beveleddownwardly and outwardly from their upper horizontal edges toward the opposite longitudinal edges of the base proper, as indicated by the numerals 9, thus materially reinforcing both the vertical and the inclined walls 8 and 7 respectively. The base at the ends thereof is integrally formed with curved angular brace ribs 10 and the cha1r, at equal distances from the inner surface of the brace ribs 10 is provided with vertically extending longitudinally arranged enlarged portions 11, the upper surfaces of which being flush with the upper edges of the vertical walls 8, and the said enlarged portions project from the outer beveled surfaces 9 to the longitudinal edges of the chair, Each of the enlarged portions 11 is formed with preferably rectangular depressions providing each of said enlargements with pockets 12--12 separated bya central partition 13. The pockets open through the vertical walls 8 and as a consequence con'nnunicate with the rail receiving space in the chair, but the said openings are.

bridged by the upper edges of said vertical walls The rear walls of the enlargements are each provided centrally of each of the depressions 12 with a vertical depression or channel 1 1, and the rear walls of the poclr ets central of each of the depressions 1d are formed eachflwith a threaded opening 15. Engaging with the threads of each of the openings 15 are theshanks 16 of headed members 17. The heads of said members are received between the walls of the depressions 14-, so that an obstacle cannot con- The numerals 18 indicate what I term.

follower or locking blocks, one of which being snugly received within each of the pockets l2, and the rear wall of each of said locking blocks is provided with a circular opening 19 within each of which is arranged the end of one of the shanks 16 of the respective headed members 17. The bore of the orifice or opening 19 is non-threaded and is of a size suliicient to snugly receive the shank 17 without interfering with the threads thereof, and, of course, the shanks are adapted to contact with the inner walls provided by the said openings or depressions 19 in order that the blocks may be lindrical depression 21 and the periphery of the said depression is provided with extendmg teeth 22. The teeth 22 are adaptedito co-act with-the teeth 23 provided upon the inner or rear face of friction members 24. These friction members are preferably in the nature of a cylindrical block and their outer faces or their faces not provided with the teeth 23 are roughened or serrated, as at 25. Also the portions of the friction members provided with the serrations 25 are of a greater radius than the inner portions of said members, or the portions there of provided with the teeth 23, as indicated by the numeral 26,-and while such an arrangement is not essential, it is found desirable to provide one of the sides ofsaid frlctlon members with a greater width than the other in order that the widened end will have a cam-like engagement between the walls of the depressions 21 and the lower walls of the pockets and so effectively sustain the said friction members within the pockets. Ihe friction members are adapted to have their serrated faces forced into tight contact with the opposite sides of the webs may be advanced toward or brought away from the webs of the rails rithrmt necessltatmg a great amount of lChllSlll'lGHt of the members 17, and also whereby diiferent W portions of the serrated faces of the members 2% may be brought into engagement with the webs of the rails, should any portion of saidserrated faces be subjected to wear.

The friction members are preferably centrally formed with openings 27, and the said openings are adapted to receive the opposite .bent ends of conducting wires 28, the said wires being also received in suitable openings or depressions 29 in the partitions 13 between the respective pockets 1212, and as the friction members are constructed of some hardened but electric conducting material it will be noted that the wire 28 provides an electric bond between each pairof friction members and consequently between the rails. In order to retain the angular ends of the Wire 28 within the openings in the friction members, suitable sleeves of compressible but electric conducting material, such as lead or Babbitt metal, indicated by the numerals 30, may be arranged upon the wires and.

have a greater tendency to force the walls 8 into tight engagementwiththewebs as forcedin the said openings, or other'suitable means may be employed for holding thebonds upon the friction members.

The longitudinal'edges ofthe" chair are provided preferably "between the brace ribs and theends of the enlarged portions 11 with slots for the reception'of the securing c spikes 31 which enter .the ties 3 and the heads of the spikes overlie the edges of the baseportion of the chair to the opposite sides of the central enlargements thereof, in-

suring the chair against longitudinal as well as lateral movement Further, if de sired, the base from the lower wall provided by the groove 5 may be gradually increased in thickness to the mentioned longitudinal tion-of the chair'will thus be renderedmore resilient and the weight of the rolling stockupon the rails received in the chair willa well as beneath the underfaces of the heads x of the'rails;

From the above descriptiomtakenlin con nection with the accompanying drawings, the simplicity of the device, as well'asthe advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent tofthose skilled in the" ends of. rails, 'a'chairhaving af'rail receiv ingcpass'age, said chairhaving its sides cenart to which such invention appertaine without further 3 detailed description.

I of the rails, said friction .members being provided with teeth, .afollowermember-1 also provided with teeth co-engaging with;

Having thus described the inventions,

what'I claim "is:

1. In a'mean's for connectingthe meeting ends of railway rails, friction members'have ing serrated faces contacting with the webs the teethof thejfrlc't onmember, and an ad ju'sting] member for the follower member.-

2. In a means for connecting the meeting ends of railway f rails, cro'ss sectionally round friction members'having one of their faces serrated, and contactin ,with the webs of the mile, the opposite aces of said members being formed with teeth, follower members, each having one of," its ends; "pro-- vided with a substantially semi cylindric'al depression, the periphery pression being formed with teeth, teeth co-acting with the teeth of-the fol- ,p lower member, and means for adjusting the follower member with relation to thefriction member. I I

of the said desaid i f3; a means for. connecting the meeting ends of rails, a chair having a rail passage V w1th1n; which the rails are arranged, ,the

walls of said passage contacting with the,

base, the web, and-unde1:lying1the headspf the rails, 'saidchair hei upper face and upon each of its opposite sides with a'pairof spaced pockets having 5 provided upon its openingsfwhich communicate with the rail" greceiving. space of the chair, the outer wall ,of each of the pocketsbeing centrally pro vided with Ia, depression and :having member within each of' the pockets, a follower' member within each of the pockets and'contacting with the friction member,

and said "follower members having one end provided with an open ng to receive the ends of the threaded members to permit of said threadedmembersicontacting with the inner wall ofeach ofsaid Openings to force the follower? into contact'with the friction member and to force, each of said friction soa members integjengagement with the. webs; of

therails.

,4. a means forconnectin'g themeetihg .trally providedlwith pockets having openings communicating twithxthe rails, the

outerjwa-lls ofthe pockets being formed with vertical threaded openings which enter the pockets, a threaded member for each of the openings having its head'rec eived onewithin each of the" depressions, fa follower membercontacting one with, each of' the side walls of the pockets adapted to beadjusted longitudinally by oneof-s aid members,

depressions and having lateral;

each of i said follower members having its inner face nrcuate, and a "rounded friction member within each of theipocke'tsand engaged by forcedfby the said followers into frictional engagement with the webs of the rails. v

eachofthe followers, and adapted; to be 7 In testimony whereof I aifix my signa ture in; presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: a v J, FLOYD ,ELL soN, RAY'WOOD. 1

MARK NOBLE. 

